I see you leaning, you're bound to fall
by Gradie
Summary: Their story begins again. Callie and Arizona's beginning.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So I thought I'd venture out a bit. Let me know what you think?  


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An arm shot through the elevator doors before they could close completely. "How's tomorrow?" she asked as a charming smile spread slowly across her face. I laughed, relieved, and my smile was answer enough for her.

"Dr Robbins?"

Arizona snapped out of her daydream at the sound of her name. She looked around and found Bailey staring, eyebrows raised. She flushed automatically, had she been talking out loud? Clicking the pen in her hand compulsively, she straightened up from the desk she had been leaning on and composed her face. "Dr. Bailey?"

"Micah's post-op system function results." She thrust a chart into the attending's hands and spun on her heel to leave.

"Bailey," Arizona called, a plea evident in her tone.

She turned back and waited, ever the consummate professional.

"I know we haven't worked together long, but I'd like to think that we're friends…" Arizona trailed off, losing her nerve somewhere in the midst of the short woman's hard stare. "Friendly?" she compromised.

Arizona hardened her reserve. She was new here and she needed information. Bailey was the closest thing she had to a friend at the hospital. "I saw you at Joe's the other night."

"Are you commenting on that as my superior?"

"No," Arizona objected, "I just-"

"Are you inviting me out for a drink?"

Arizona's head tipped to the side, a bewildered look on her face. "No. I mean, if you want-"

"Would this be about your personal business?"

"Well I saw you talking to Callie Torres at Joe's," Arizona answered, so relieved that they were finally on the same page that she missed the warning tone in the short woman's voice.

Bailey's eyebrows shot up. "Stop talking."

Arizona's mouth dropped open in surprise as the woman simply turned and walked off after rudely silencing her. This took 'no-nonsense' to an entirely different level. She shook off her shock after a moment and, taking a quick step to start, she wheeled after the resident bustling down the hall. "I just wanted to ask your advice." She spoke quickly, not giving the other woman time to interrupt. "I think we kind of have a date tonight and I don't know where to take her, what kind of thing she likes. I mean, I've heard the talk but I wanted more information, and you're her friend, right?"

Bailey stopped walking and closed her eyes, a hand gesturing through the air and she seemed to be muttering to herself. She abruptly ended her internal debate, turning and gesturing imperiously for Arizona to follow her.

Curious, Arizona trailed after the woman. "Are you going to-"

"I don't do this," came the immediate reply. Bailey was scanning the halls determinedly as they walked. She veered suddenly down a hall, moving even faster. "Sloan!"

The tall man turned, and Arizona raised her eyebrows in surprise. He looked more like a movie star than a doctor, though the dark blue scrubs seemed to indicate that he was a colleague.

"Sloan, Robbins. Robbins, Sloan," Bailey said shortly, gesturing back and forth between the two doctors. "Robbins needs a consult." With that, Bailey turned and stalked back the way they had come, satisfied that she was finished with this nonsense.

Mark grinned at the obviously confused and uncomfortable doctor, glad that Callie had pointed her out earlier when she hid behind him to avoid the blonde. Arizona smiled warily in response, unsure what she was supposed to say to this strange man. Why would Bailey have passed her off to him?

"Robbins eh?" he said in a teasing drawl. "You're the new attending who works with _newborns_ right?"

She stiffened, her eyes narrowing slightly at his odd emphasis. Everything fell into place.

"Pediatrics," she confirmed, ignoring the overtones. "And you are…"

"Plastics and ENT, double boarded." Mark crossed his arms over his chest, flexing his biceps.

"Well, it was nice meeting you." Arizona shot him a dimpled smile and brushed past him.

He turned and effortlessly kept pace with her, "What about your consult?"

"I don't think I'll be needing your assistance after all."

"Are you sure?" Mark stopped walking, thoroughly enjoying the situation. "Torres certainly has, in the past." He watched as the blonde froze, her back still to him.

Arizona spun around on her heels and smiled blindingly at the tall doctor, using her own form of intimidation. "Absolutely," she enunciated, the glint in her blue gaze making it clear that she was picking up the gauntlet. "It was super nice to meet you though."

He watched her roll away, slightly bemused. A smile slowly spread across his face, he liked this one. He could already tell she had more spirit than George and was more fun than Erica had been.

* * *

"Well it looks like a simple fracture Mr. Davis, but I'm going to have Dr. Grey take you up for an x-ray just in case," Callie said, stripping off her gloves as she stood. "If the scans come back clean, cast it and discharge him Grey." Callie smiled at the kindly old man. "Now you make sure she lets you pick your favorite color for the casting material," she teased as she backed away.

She stiffened as she felt a hand on her back. She turned quickly, her nerves only increasing when she realized it was Arizona who had stopped her. "Oh, uh, hey." She inwardly cursed her utter lack of 'cool' around the blonde.

"Hey," Arizona replied in a soft voice. "I just wanted to make sure you were still good for dinner tonight." She cocked her head and gave the Latina a smile calculated to use her dimples to their maximum potential.

Callie smiled before she could help herself. She marveled at her reaction; god this woman was dangerous. "I'm looking forward to it," she flirted. "Meet you by the entrance at eight?"

Arizona laughed under her breath, she couldn't remember the last time she was so intrigued by anyone. "Eight," she confirmed as she slowly backed away from the other woman. "And Calliope," she bit her lower lip slightly and let her eyes slowly skim down luscious curves before returning to the Latina's face. She noted the taller woman's flush with satisfaction. "You should be. Looking forward to it, that is."


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a hell of a day. Work was stressful enough without adding personal business to it. Bailey shoved the door to the residents' locker room open, her mind rehashing the Chief's recent anger and distance. Things had been more civil today, but they still weren't back to the way they had been. She didn't want to sacrifice the Chief's respect, but she wanted that peds fellowship.

Bailey stopped in her tracks; the door swinging shut behind her. She heaved a sigh. Callie spun around, nervously smoothing her hands down her sides. "How do I look?"

"Why is it always me?" Bailey appealed, her eyes on the ceiling. She pursed her lips and gave the tall orthopedic resident the once-over.

Unsure of Arizona's plans, Callie had aimed for simple but elegant. The hemline of the black dress swirled around her knees, the soft material falling free from an intricate knot of fabric below her bosom. She saw Bailey's eyebrows lift as she eyed said bosom. "Is it too much?" Callie asked, a hand fluttering over her cleavage.

Cristina burst through the door in time to hear Callie's question, saving Bailey from having to answer. "It's just right for a high-class hooker."

Bailey snorted, for once enjoying her former intern's humor.

Cristina moved to her cubby, unfazed by her roommate's glare. "Wait, I can do better than that," she exclaimed as she pulled her scrub top off, "Too much… for a C cup?"

Grabbing her coat and purse, Callie shot the two laughing surgeons a glare before sweeping from the room with what remained of her dignity.

* * *

Arizona felt her eyes go to the clock over the entrance once again. 8:03. Impossible. Why did time never go this slowly when she was trying to sleep or do something fun?

"Have you heard this one yet Dr. Robbins?" asked the security guard. "Two hats were hanging on a coat rack when one said to the other, 'You wait here, I'll go on a head.'"

A genuine laugh escaped the pediatric surgeon. "What about the shoe?"

Nate gave her a quizzical look, "The shoe?"

"The shoe!" Arizona confirmed, smiling at the grandfatherly man who had been quick to befriend a new doctor. "He overheard the plan and told the talking hat, 'You go on a head, I'll follow on foot.'"

The blonde looked up again as the guard chuckled and was finally rewarded for her impatience. The easy smile slid from her face as she focused on the dark-haired woman approaching her.

Callie had spotted Arizona as soon as she had gotten off the elevator. Her breath had caught at the sight. Arizona was leaning lightly against the desk, charming the night guard. Unnoticed, Callie had been able to sweep her eyes over her date, her gaze lingering on long toned legs before sliding over the blonde's grey pencil skirt and silky blue off-the-shoulder top. She had drawn up her curls in an elegant twist, and her delicate features were alit with humor as she joked with the guard.

Callie swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. She took a deep breath and walked over. 'You can do this,' she coached herself, her eyes focused on her goal. Sure, she'd only been on one official girl date before, and sure that had been with someone she was already friends with, and sure she'd humiliated herself once in front of this woman already, but she was _not_ some timid newborn. She was going to rock this.

She was glad that she'd had an unobserved moment. When Arizona looked up, the Latina was able to watch her expression change. Her courage rallied as she saw the smile slip from the blonde's face, her blue eyes widening slightly as they swept appreciatively over her body. She let her hips sway as she closed the distance between them.

"Hey Nate," she said, her gaze still locked on the slight woman.

"Hey yourself, Dr. Callie," the older man replied with a nod, discretely turning to face the doors.

"You look-"

"You look-" Callie laughed as they both broke off, having spoken at the same time. "Lovely," she finished.

"I was going to say hot," Arizona replied, blushing lightly at Callie's compliment.

Callie dipped her head, her hair swinging forward to hide her smile. "Ready to get out of here?"

She winced as she heard an acerbic voice from a few feet away stage whisper, "Don't take less than a hundred. Call me when you're through, take care of you."

Arizona's mouth gaped open as she watched the curly haired Asian woman who'd spoken walk out the hospital doors. "Who was that? Did she just quote-"

"Yeah, can we pretend that didn't happen?" She was going to kill Yang. Slowly and painfully kill her.

"Was she implying that you're a-"

"Arizona," Callie said firmly, reaching a hand out to touch the blonde's shoulder. "Focus. Dinner?"

"Dinner," Arizona chirped, regaining her poise. If Callie could ignore the oddness than so could she. She gestured toward the door, her shoulder still tingling from where Callie's hand had touched her bare skin.

* * *

"Hmmm," Callie intoned with a smirk as Arizona pressed a button on her keychain, causing the headlights of a powder blue prius to flash as the door locks disengaged.

"What?" Arizona asked, slightly defensive. "It's a perfectly respectable car."

Callie bit back a smile as she strolled to the passenger side and looked in through the windows. "Hmmm," she repeated as she opened the door and slid into the front seat.

Arizona hmphed under her breath and opened her own door. "Calliope Torres! Insulting my vehicle is not a good way to start a first date."

"Arizona Robbins," Callie replied, imitating Arizona's tone. "By the way, 'Calliope?'" She gave a fake shudder, "I don't know how you possibly heard that from the nurses, but it's not something I answer to - only my parents call me that."

"Nurses? Oh yeah, the nurses. They talk, a lot." Arizona busied herself with starting the vehicle, which seemingly took a lot of focus.

Callie eyed the suddenly shifty blonde. "Where did you hear my name?"

Arizona finished backing out of the parking spot and shifted into drive. She paused, foot on the brake, and shot a charming smile at the Latina, confident in her ability to brazen it out. "I was curious what 'Callie' was short for, and we weren't really talking, so I couldn't ask, and so…I looked it up."

Callie's eyebrows shot up, "You looked it up, like, in my personnel file?"

"No!" Arizona replied, pouting in pretend hurt. "I didn't have to, it's in the computer system."

Callie rolled her eyes, settling into her seat as Arizona navigated the vehicle into traffic.

"Don't think that distracted me," Arizona continued. "I'm still hurt that you dissed my car."

The sound of Callie's light laugh shot through her and she found herself grinning foolishly in response. She tried to scold herself, it was ridiculous to feel so much joy simply from eliciting a laugh from the other woman, but her heart refused to be reasoned with.

It was the brunette's turn to look coy, "It just wasn't what I expected."

Arizona cocked a brow, risking a quick glance at Callie as she took in the Latina's teasing tone. "What did you expect?"

"A Volkswageon Beatle? A mini Cooper? Maybe something in pink?" Her mouth quirked up, "A stuffed animal in the window or a silly bumper sticker at the very least."

The blonde nodded, a smile teasing the corners of her mouth. She allowed the silence to extend, reveling in the way it didn't feel awkward. A few short moments later she pulled into a grocery store complex.

"We're here," she announced.

Callie furrowed her brow, "Ok…"

"Wait," Arizona commanded imperiously as she parked the vehicle, quickly sliding her legs out of the car and standing up. Callie did as she was told, enjoying the slide of the blonde's skirt as she climbed out of the car too much to protest.

Arizona rounded the car and opened the passenger door, offering the other woman her hand.

"You don't have to open my door Arizona." With a rather bashful smile at Arizona's chivalrous gesture, Callie reached out to take her hand as she turned in her seat.

Standing purposefully too close to the car, Arizona took her hand and watched as she shifted in her seat to place her feet on the pavement. She allowed herself a moment of pure voyeurism, her eyes locked on the gloriously low neckline of Callie's dress as she stood. Her eyes trailed leisurely up to meet the taller woman's, her smile growing as the orthopedic surgeon reached her full height and realized how close together they were standing.

"I know, I just wanted to see you stand up in that dress." Her blue gaze was direct and intense as she stepped closer, their bodies almost touching.

"And _Calliope,_" she emphasized the syllables, her soft pink lips seemingly caressing the word, "I do like stuffed animals and pink and childish things…but I also like grownup things."

Callie exhaled with a soft huff of breath, her mouth slightly open as her eyes slipped from Arizona's stunning blue eyes to focus on her lips. She unconsciously leaned forward, drawn in by a longing to see if the blonde's kiss could possibly live up to that amazing demonstration in the bathroom of Joe's.

She gave a soft tug on the hand she still clasped, drawing Arizona the rest of the way to her. She resisted the urge to close her eyes, choosing instead to keep her focus on the other woman's lips as they drew nearer. Her eyes fluttered shut as she brushed her lips against Arizona's.

She couldn't contain a soft sound of pleasure as the blonde came back for more, molding her mouth and body to hers. Before she could respond, Arizona was gone. She opened her eyes, pouting at the loss of the soft body pressed against hers.

Arizona was standing a step away, her chest rising and falling quickly. She drew her lower lip into her mouth, eyes closing briefly at the taste of Callie that lingered. "Dinner?" she asked again, pleased at how calm her voice sounded.

Callie smiled, glad to have a moment to catch her breath. "Are we cooking it?"

"Of course not," Arizona shuddered delicately. "I wouldn't subject you to that." She gestured to a small building tucked in between the chain businesses. "Rancho de Tia Alegria. I found it my first week here, it's amazing."

She held out her hand for Callie's, reasonably sure that she was in control of herself again. "Shall we?"

* * *

**A/N: If you missed it, Cristina in the lobby was a quote was from Pretty Woman. I couldn't resist - not after she called Callie a high-class hooker in the locker room...**


	3. Chapter 3

"Bienvenido a Rancho de Tia Alegria. ¿La cena para dos?"

Arizona smiled at the matronly woman, "I'm sorry, we don't speak-"

"¿Sí, en el patio si es posible?" Callie answered, cutting Arizona off.

"Por supuesto. Sígame por favor." The woman turned and bustled away.

"You speak Spanish." Why had she never considered that possibility? More importantly, why had she never realized how hot Spanish was? They didn't call it a romance language for nothing.

Callie shot her a sly grin, "Sí."

Bemused, Arizona watched as the woman opened the door to the small enclosed patio in the center of the restaurant, beautifully decorated with greenery and twinkling white lights. It looked beautiful, but sadly, it had been raining the last time she had been here and so she had eaten inside.

"I asked to sit outside, I hope that's ok. It looks so pretty out there, and it's a nice night." Callie said, tugging slightly on Arizona's hand to move the blonde." She said we should follow her."

At a loss for words, Arizona trailed after the surprising woman. She could hear Callie speaking to the hostess again as they seated themselves at a table in the corner. The words floated around her meaninglessly, but the melody was beautiful.

She settled herself and looked across the table as the older woman left them alone, and promptly forgot what she was going to say. The dark-haired woman sitting across the way was breathtaking. A solitary candle on the table and the strings of little white lights provided the only illumination, highlighting her bronzed skin and making her eyes look impossibly deep. Her dark hair and dress flowed together into one entity.

"Arizona?" Callie called softly as she leaned forward, somewhat concerned by the continued silence. A waiter appeared. Callie greeted him politely in Spanish and turned back toward the blonde. He smiled at both women and commenced to preparing their table, politely blending into the background.

"You speak Spanish." Arizona heard herself repeat her earlier words and winced. Damn it. All her energy was going into keeping her eyes trained above the other woman's neck, leaving her mouth freedom to run away with itself. That dress was going to be the death of her… or, at the very least, it would be the death of her good intentions.

Callie laughed, clearly reading the chagrin that flitted across the blonde's face. "Yes," she drawled, "Is that a problem?"

Arizona grinned back, grateful for Callie's teasing reaction to her oddness. "Definitely not a problem." She smiled at the waiter as he placed a glass in front of her. "In fact, I think it's super sexy. You can talk to me in Spanish anytime you want…"

She gave Callie her best sultry look as she reached for her water glass. As Arizona brought the glass to her lips, their eyes connected and she shivered at the intensity in the dark gaze.

"Unfortunately, you will have to speak to me in English," interjected their waiter. "I never did learn Spanish, much to my mother's disappointment."

Arizona's eyes widened and she choked slightly on her water. Callie couldn't help herself; peals of laughter rang through the patio as the blonde flushed in embarrassment. "I think we'll need another minute," she told the waiter, still chuckling.

Trying to recover, she took a second, more careful sip of water as the waiter walked away before shooting a glare at the still-chuckling Latina. "That wasn't funny."

"It was. It really was," Callie replied, smiling broadly at the irritated blonde. "Besides, now we're even."

"Even?" Arizona queried, her tone still tight with embarrassment.

"Yeah," Callie replied, leaning toward the blonde with a conspiratorial grin. "I did humiliate myself in front of your last date, if you'll recall."

Arizona smiled, her embarrassment fading and her good humor returning as quickly as it had been lost. "That was romantic though, and hot. And besides," she continued, twirling her finger over the tiled table, "it wasn't a very good date anyway."

"No?"

"No. I kept thinking about this doctor who'd asked me out earlier that day."

"Oh really?" Callie grinned, quite willing to play this game

"Really." Her blue eyes danced, "She just walked right up to me and rambled something about avoiding me, and this kiss we shared, and then she asked me out. It was awesome."

Callie quirked an eyebrow inquiringly.

"It was!" defended Arizona. "I just panicked a bit when I found out she…" Arizona trailed off, remembering Mark Sloan's sly tone when he said she worked with _newborns_. Obviously Callie hadn't liked that terminology.

"Was a newborn?" Callie finished for her, dryly. She reached across the table, placing her hand over the fingers dancing on the table.

Arizona forgot to breathe for a moment, caught by the dark gaze and hyper-aware of the warm hand covering hers. She turned her hand so that her palm faced upward, her fingers stroking Callie's. Truth time.

"I am sorry, you know, for that." She looked down at their hands. "I'm just…done playing games." Images flickered through her mind, like a particularly painful slide show. Women who had cheated, who had decided they weren't ready for anything serious, who had changed their mind about being gay, women who had just changed their mind about _her_. "I'm just looking for something more…" she paused, trying to think of a word to describe what she needed. "Just more."

Callie nodded, her eyes trying to convey the truth in her words. "I understand Arizona. But I know who I am. This is still new, but I know what I want."

Arizona shivered and slowly nodded at the brunette, unable to resist the intensity of her gaze. A glass of wine appeared at her elbow and she smiled sheepishly up at the waiter. He smiled back, conspiratorially, before detailing the evening's specials.

* * *

It was amazing really, when she stopped to think about it. Until tonight, their longest interaction had been maybe five minutes long. Maybe. She took another bite of her dinner as she marveled over how easy it was to be with Arizona. When they were just talking like this, it was hard to remember that they hadn't known each other for years. It was so natural. But when they touched... she reached for her glass, taking a sip of cool wine to distract herself from her suddenly racy thoughts. Was this what she had been missing out on all those years she had dated men? Somehow she doubted it; whatever this was, she was willing to bet it was unique to the refreshingly upbeat blonde seated across from her.

"So, the Peace Corps?" The blonde let the question dangle as she reached for her wine glass.

"Oh no, I've told enough stories for one night. It's your turn."

"What do you want to know?"

Callie pondered the question, marveling at the openness in the other woman's twinkling blue eyes. "Tell me something about your life, outside the hospital."

Callie smiled, you could almost see the wheels turning as the blonde searched for some sort of offering. She watched her mouth open slightly, then close again as she changed her mind.

"No, tell me. Whatever that was."

Arizona winced, showing her dimples. "That wasn't particularly cool or sexy." She pouted for a moment. "Oh, I know! I like to play racquetball. Have you ever played? It's super fun and a surprisingly good workout."

Callie simply waited, giving Arizona the look she had perfected in the past few years. The Bailey stare.

It took about 25 seconds. "Ok, ok! I like to read."

Callie rolled her eyes at the anticlimactic admission, "Most people read Arizona."

"Yeah…" Arizona hesitated, "Maybe though, before I moved I was in a book club, where we had these monthly themed meetings."

A slow smile spread across Callie's face, "Themed?"

"You know, themed around the book - food, attire, things like that."

"You dressed up for this?" Pure joy. "Please tell me you still do this."

God it was hard not to stare like a besotted fool when the dark-haired woman smiled like that. There were very few things she wouldn't do to earn a smile like that. Arizona resisted the urge to reach across the table for her hand again, reminding herself this was only the first date. She stuck her tongue out, "No, so stop teasing. I haven't found a good club here yet."

Their lighthearted banter continued, new topics weaving effortlessly into the conversation, both women enjoying learning more about the other. Only when the apologetic waiter appeared to tell them the restaurant was closing did they realize the time.

Arizona apologized, slipping the waiter her card and sending him off before Callie had a chance to argue. "My invitation, my treat," she maintained when Callie tried to protest. "Besides, this way you owe me a date," she flirted as they walked out of the restaurant, nudging the other woman with her hip.

"Hmmm," Callie teased, playing it cool even as a thrill ran through her. Arizona wanted another date!

* * *

"This is me."

"So… this was fun." Arizona gave her best smile.

Callie tilted her head, her face serious. "It was." She looked down, fiddling with the strap of her purse. "Do you want to come in?"

"No," Arizona replied softly, her heart giving a particularly hard thump at the fleeting look of rejection that washed across Callie's down-turned face. "I don't kiss on the first date, and I have a feeling that if I go in there," she jerked a thumb at the blue door, "with you, I'll want to break more rules than just the kissing one."

Callie looked up, her brows drawing together in confusion. "Wait, what? We kissed in the parking lot. And you, you kissed me in the bar bathroom."

"See? You're a danger to my rules," Arizona replied matter-of-factly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Callie's mouth lifted in a smirk at the blonde's irregular logic, "Well, since the damage has already been done…" She stalked forward, eliciting an expectant smile from the blonde who stood her ground. She tentatively placed her hands on slender hips, hesitant at this first touch but determined to keep Arizona from disappearing from this kiss. When she didn't pull away, Callie tightened her grip. sliding her hands more firmly around Arizona's waist. She tipped her head to the side, leaning down slightly until their lips were separated only by a breath.

Arizona cracked easily, the pressure of Callie's chest against her folded arms and the proximity of the beautiful woman was too much. She unfolded her arms, only to immediately refold them around the taller woman's neck. She leaned up, meeting the offered kiss.

A shiver danced through her as she brushed her lips back and forth against the taller woman's mouth. She parted her lips slightly, drawing Callie's lower lip between hers and lightly suckling. Her fingers threaded through silky dark locks as she deepened the kiss, her tongue flicking out to glide along Callie's lips, seeking entrance.

Callie moaned lightly, intoxicated by the scent and feel of Arizona as the blonde's soft tongue slid into her mouth. She eagerly returned the kiss, tracing a hand up Arizona's spine.

With the last of her willpower, Arizona broke the kiss after a long momment. Leaning her forehead against Callie's, she struggled to control her breathing. "Wow."

Callie laughed breathlessly, her lips curving into a smile. "Worth breaking the rules?"

Blue eyes danced with laughter, "Easily."

"What rules do you have for second dates?" the brunette inquired, sliding her hands down until they again rested lightly on the blonde's hips.

"You'll have to ask me out and see," the blonde teased, stepping back. She shot a coy smile at Callie, using her dimples to their full effect. "Good night Calliope."

"Buenas noches, Arizona."


	4. Chapter 4

"Well?" Mark asked expectantly as he sat at the lunch table, straddling the chair he'd turned around.

"Well what?" Callie replied coolly, lifting a forkful of today's mystery concoction to her mouth. She chewed warily, noting that Mark had settled for an apple. His fruit consumption seemed to coincide with the particularly unappetizing cafeteria entrees. She could only presume he'd slept with a cafeteria worker -or three- to be privy to such key insider information. Next time she'd do well to wait and see his selection before picking for herself.

Cristina chimed in, "I believe the manwhore, in his own charming way, is inquiring how your date with the new pediatric surgeon went." She shoveled more salad in her mouth, "Not that it could have gone all that great. If there was sex it was quiet, boring sex - I didn't wake up at all last night."

Meredith rolled her eyes at her best friend. "Classy Cristina. Callie needs our support."

"Whatever. She didn't need our support on her first foray into lesbian land, why should she need it now?"

Mark spoke around a bite of apple, "You both sound like you need to get laid. Speaking of…. Callie?"

"Enough!" Callie slapped a hand down on the table to emphasis her point. "Yes, we went out last night. It was … great." Her expression softened, her anger forgotten as her memories came to the fore. "We talked all night, and then she walked me back to the apartment and we kissed goodnight. She wants me to ask her out on a second date."

"It was good?" Mark queried, his eyebrows raised suspiciously.

"It was," Callie confirmed.

"And you don't mind if she sees other people?"

"What?" Callie spun around, her eyes tracking the direction Mark's finger was pointing.

She was entirely unprepared for the sinking feeling in her stomach as her eyes locked on familiar blonde curls bent engagingly over the table toward an attractive young woman with short, strawberry-blonde hair wearing nurse-colored scrubs.

"That could be nothing," she said in a weak voice. "They could be friends."

The words were barely out of her mouth when the strawberry blonde she was quickly growing to dislike reached out a hand to playfully take Arizona's hand.

"Burn," Cristina observed callously.

Callie stood, jerkily picking up her lunch tray. "Whatever, we went on one date. She can hold hands with whoever she wants."

Her actions belying her words, she stormed out of the cafeteria, dropping her entire tray in the trash along the way.

* * *

"Take the clamp Grey." Arizona blew out a loud breath against her surgical mask in aggravation at the resident's slow response. "If pediatric surgery is really this painful for you, I suggest you use your time here to prove your skills in the area so that I don't recommend you stay on my service for remedial training."

"Yes Dr. Robbins," Meredith replied in a monotone.

Arizona's brow furrowed, "I've heard glowing reports of your skills, Grey. I know you're focused on neuro, but pediatrics requires similar skills at the micro level. I would have thought it would be an interesting challenge for you."

"Sometimes people surprise you," Meredith replied noncommittally.

Eyebrows shot into a butterfly scrub cap, "Excuse me? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing Dr. Robbins."

* * *

Arizona tossed her surgical gown in the bin with extra vigor. The surgery had been a complete success, but Meredith Grey couldn't possibly have been less helpful or interested. Until today she'd only had Bailey or Karev assist on her surgeries; perhaps they weren't indicative of the caliber of residents at Seattle Grace. Not only had Grey failed to display any intellectual curiosity, she had disappeared without a word before Arizona could even offer to allow her to close.

She scrubbed out alone and was still ruminating on her disgruntled thoughts as she pushed her way out of the scrub room into the main OR hallway. Her mood lifted as she caught sight of a familiar Latina facing the nursing station, engaged in conversation with someone. A smile spread across her face as she walked toward Callie. She stopped short as Callie shifted and she caught sight of the other person.

Meredith Grey.

Huh.

Arizona continued towards the two women, albeit more cautiously. "Grey, Torres." Her tone softened as she addressed the second woman.

"Dr. Robbins," the residents replied in unison.

Arizona's mouth fell open in confusion and shock as the two women walked off together after acknowledging her greeting. She hadn't expected anything from Meredith Grey, but when she'd left Calliope outside her door last night she'd thought they were in a good place. A really good place.

She shook her head and attempted to regroup. Clearly something had gone wrong, but what? She took a quick step and rolled after the residents, quickly catching up. "Dr. Torres, could I have a minute?"

Callie gave her a shuttered look. "If you need a consult, you can page Ortho for an attending."

"Calliope." The single word was spoken in a quiet, dignified tone. Callie sighed, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment.

"I'll catch up with you later Meredith."

"Are you sure?" Meredith questioned, acting for all the world like a body guard.

Arizona quirked an eyebrow at the young resident, an incredulous look on her face.

Callie dismissed her with a complicated series of facial expressions as Arizona looked on, increasingly befuddled. Finally alone, she took Callie's elbow and steered her into a nearby on-call room.

Closing the door, she turned to stare at the younger woman. Her tenseness was unmistakable. "I'm sorry, did I do something?"

Callie gazed stonily back, her face devoid of any emotion. "I don't know, did you?"

Exasperated, Arizona let out a noisy exhalation. "Seriously! What's with you?"

"Why's it any of your business?"

"We-" Arizona stalled, and blinked several times. "We're…dating, or something. We went on a date. A good date! I thought you were going to ask me out on a second date today, not act weird and hang out with the hostile neuro resident!"

"Oh we're dating, are we?" Callie asked, surprised. "How many _we's_ are you a part of?"

Arizona's mouth dropped open as she finally caught on. Grey's comment about people surprising you, Calliope's hostility… "You saw me at lunch with Kathy."

"Bingo," Callie replied coldly. _Kathy, she'd always hated that name_, she thought irrationally. "Now if you'd care to move away from the door, I'll be leaving."

Arizona buried a hand in her blonde curls, her frustration evident. "_This_ is why I don't date newborns. We've had one date Calliope. _One!_"

Callie curled her lip, "This has nothing to do with, with _lesbian experience_!" she spit out, "This is about common courtesy. If you're dating more than one person you need to be open about it."

This time Arizona let Callie sweep past her out of the room, temporarily silenced.

* * *

"When?"

Callie looked up from the chart she was noting, surprised at the harsh tone. "Arizona?"

"Oh, so now you remember my first name?" Arizona retorted, good and angry and unafraid to show it. "I said 'when'. When exactly did you want me to tell you that I had a lunch date today. Before dinner? After? Today? Oh right, you decided not to talk to me today, so I guess that's out. I suppose I should have inserted it in last night's conversation. 'How's the chicken? Oh, so by the way, I'm meeting one of the nurses tomorrow for lunch.' Maybe it would have gone better after the goodnight kiss? 'That was nice, and it'll give me a fresh memory to compare to my lunch date tomorrow.'"

Arizona paused her rant briefly for air. Callie found herself unable to do anything besides stare.

"We had one date Calliope. One fantastic date, yes, but it doesn't mean I have to approve my schedule by you. We only set our date two days ago, Kathy asked me to lunch last week. What was I supposed to do?" She shook her head in disgust, "Whatever your issue, I don't appreciate the veiled implication that I'm some sort of whore, _or _you spreading my personal business to the other residents."

Finished, she stormed out of the lounge, slamming the door on her way. Wheeling quickly down the hall towards the elevators, she swore at herself. That was supposed to be satisfying. Grateful for the empty elevator, she slumped against the wall after pushing the button for peds. That should have felt good, it should have felt good to have her say. She frowned and looked up at the roof of the elevator car. So why didn't she feel better?

* * *

**A/N: What's a chaptered story without some sort of conflict? **


	5. Chapter 5

"I've been monitoring the Spencer boy's vitals, but there hasn't been any change, Dr. Robbins. Do you think more Dexedrine would help?"

A sad ghost of a smile crossed Arizona's lips. The last few cases had been hard on the other surgeon, Arizona should know - it was easy for her to recognize someone who was accustomed to winning. "_Devin_," she replied, emphasizing the boy's name, "is either going to wake up in the next 48 hours or…" She trailed off, not needing to finish the thought. "There's not much else we can do Miranda, his body won't handle anything more."

Bailey nodded, her gaze fixed on the floor, her chin resting on her chest in an attitude of defeat.

Arizona reached out, placing a calming hand on the slumped shoulders of the senior resident. "There was never much of a chance, you knew that, but we try anyway. One miracle, just one, is worth all the pain." She straightened her own back, gaining strength from the simple act of saying her personal manta out loud.

The senior resident shook herself, as if physically shedding the burden of caring for these fragile children in their final moments. "Well, if you don't need anything right now I'm going to work on assignments for the other residents. I have Grey supervising Devin."

"Grey?" Arizona's voice rose. "I don't want her anywhere near my kids until she has herself under control."

Bailey's brow furrowed, her sorrows momentarily forgotten as she switched into business mode. "What did she do?" Her tone was ominous.

"Nothing. That's just the problem. She was an utter waste of space in my surgery, and then I come to find out it's because she's siding with Calliope over some ridiculous-"

"Surgery?" Bailey cut in, her mind ferreting out the one detail from Arizona's spew of words that didn't fit. "Grey wasn't in surgery with you, she's been doing my labs and post-ops all day."

"Umm, I'm pretty sure I caught her name," Arizona retorted, "Somewhere after she walked into my OR and before she tried to defend Calliope's honor, like I'm some sort of-"

"Grey, Lexie Grey?" Bailey again cut in, trying to make sense of the impossibility.

"Lexie? No," the blonde furrowed her brow, "Meredith. Her name is Meredith Grey."

Bailey nodded in understanding, "Meredith is the older one. Her younger sister, Lexie, is monitoring Devin." She paused, "Wait, Meredith was obstructive in the OR?"

Arizona wavered in the face of the sudden anger emanating from the chief resident. "Well, not exactly obstructive - she didn't hurt anything, she just wasn't helpful." She fidgeted under the small woman's glare, "It was all a misunderstanding. Like I was trying to tell you, she was trying to stand up for Calliope- "

Bailey's glare only deepened, "You went and got your personal business mixed up in your work already? How long have you been here?"

"Wait a minute, _I'm _the attending here-"

"Psh," Bailey silenced the older doctor. "You bring your business into the OR, you don't get to pull rank. Why would Meredith Grey of all people think she needed to defend Torres?"

"Of all people?" Arizona quizzed. "I was under the impression they were best friends."

"Grey and Torres?" Bailey scoffed. "Grey, Yang, Karev, O'Malley, Stevens - my former interns are a unit, and Torres is definitely not a part of that."

"Wait, Grey is friends with _O'Malley_? Her ex-husband?"

"And Stevens, the one he cheated with." Bailey cocked an eyebrow, not to be distracted. Her voice was icy, "Now what did you do?"

"I.. I," Arizona stuttered, suddenly unwilling to dredge it all up again with Bailey. It was true that she didn't know much about the inner workings of this hospital yet. Based on she had just heard, Meredith Grey and Callie were far from close. What would it take for the junior resident to risk an attending's wrath for the Latina?

She quailed under the cold stare of the short woman. How did she _do_ that? "Fine! Calliope apparently saw me having lunch with one of the nurses and must have told Meredith Grey."

The stare continued.

"I guess maybe it wasn't smart to have lunch with her in the hospital."

Nothing.

Arizona's voice became sullen, "The day after our date."

"Alright then. Fix it."

Arizona's eyebrows shot up. "Fix it?"

"I am up to here," Bailey waved a hand beside her neck, "With attending-resident _affairs_. I don't need any more drama messing up _my _surgical rotation schedule. Do you hear me?"

"Why should I be the one to fix it? It's not like I was cheating on her - we had one date!" Arizona protested, sticking to her guns.

Bailey rolled her eyes, remembering how both women had dragged her into their pre-date drama. "Is that all it was?"

"Alright, it was a great date," Arizona admitted heatedly, waving an arm for emphasis, "But she's obviously irrational and … and emotional!" Arizona ran a hand through her curls, adding to the disorder. "I've dated irrational and emotional. Trust me, it never ends well," she finished with satisfaction, looking to the dark-haired woman for understanding.

Bailey studied the disheveled attending before turning to walk away. "One miracle is worth all the pain," she uttered coolly over her shoulder, throwing the attending's own words back at her.

* * *

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Nope." Callie took another shot, shuddering at the shock of the heat burning its way down her throat.

"You wanna have sex?"

Callie snorted, her shoulders shaking with a mirthless laugh, "You're all sorts of hung up on Little Grey, and I'm…" she lifted two fingers as Joe looked over and tapped the bar in front of them. "Well, I'm apparently not enough for anyone."

Mark nudged Callie with his shoulder, "You're plenty of woman, take it from someone who knows."

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, whatever. I guess Arizona did me a favor by getting it over with early. It hurts a lot less when you're not married."

Even as she took a drink of her chaser she knew that was a lie. This hurt. She had felt a real connection with the perky blonde, like they could have something real. Something important.

"She bitched you out though, right? Must not be as nice as she seems."

Callie made a noncommittal noise and accepted the shot glass Joe slide across the bar. She toyed with it. "I mean, she had a point. She's free to date whoever she wants."

Mark nodded slowly, throwing back his own shot like a pro. "Called you a newborn again."

Anger lit a fire in dark eyes. "She did. And it just kills me, you know, because she had this whole 'I'm not into playing games, I want something serious' speech last night at dinner and then today, _today_ she's all 'I can date whoever I want.'" She took her own shot, not even feeling the burn this time. "I mean, that's messed up, right?"

Mark shot a sympathetic look over at Callie, his eyes meeting an unexpected and intent blue gaze over her far shoulder. "I'm umm, gonna go talk to … someone else."

Callie's brow furrowed as she watched Mark go before swiveling to see what had chased him off. "Oh, hey," she said weakly.

"Hey," the blonde replied quietly. She had looked the other woman up and down from across the room and her defeated position at the bar reminded her of the first night they'd spoken. Only this time, she was the one who had made the Latina this way.

She had wavered for a moment, over whether to come over or not. Did she really want to get into something with a woman who was clearly so emotionally vulnerable? The Latina was a risky gamble in more ways than one; not only was she new to relationships with women, she was obviously dealing with baggage from previous relationships. Arizona didn't want to find herself in the position of being the rebound girl. Perhaps the biggest risk of all, however, was how the dark-haired woman could make her feel with a kiss, or even with just a smile.

The thought of that smile had made up her mind for her. It was a smile she'd very much like to see again.

"So I'm back on my meds," Arizona joked lamely, sliding onto a stool.

Callie nodded, her gaze fixed firmly on her now empty shot glass. "I meant what I said the other day, we don't have to try to be friends. Really, it's ok."

Arizona cocked her head, trying to see through the fall of dark hair shielding the other woman's face. "Cal-"

"But I didn't tell the other residents anything bad about you."

Suddenly the blonde found herself pinned by a fierce dark gaze.

"I wouldn't do that, I know what it's like to be talked about." Callie steeled herself to keep her eyes locked with the other woman's, not to give into the temptation that suddenly seized her to allow them to roam her face. "They were just there, in the cafeteria, at lunch… that's how Meredith knew. I didn't realize she was in your surgery afterwards, and I didn't know until after you…confronted me that she'd been inappropriate." Having said her piece, Callie tore her eyes away, motioning for Joe as she again bent her head to allow her hair to hide her face.

A moment passed awkwardly with Callie hoping that the blonde would just go. She could hear Mark joking with Owen over a game of darts, the group of interns loudly re-enacting the funnier bits of their day at the end of the bar, the general comings and goings of patrons. She glanced up as Joe placed another shot in front of her.

"These are on me." Arizona shot Joe her best smile as she accepted her own drink, something fruity-looking.

"You don't hav-"

"I meant what I said the other day too," Arizona interrupted. "Sometimes I panic and call it wrong." Her eyes seemed to be measuring the other woman. "I should have canceled my lunch with Kathy. I didn't realize it would be a problem." She paused to gnaw on her lower lip. "I guess I thought that even if you saw us, you'd realize a lunch in scrubs at the hospital cafeteria couldn't have meant much. She couldn't have meant much." She took a gulp of her drink. "I did say I don't want to play games, and I don't. I won't see her again. I won't see anyone else."

"It's fine, you were right - I don't have any claim on you. We had one date." Callie pondered the shot. Was it number four? Five?

"Maybe you should… have some sort of claim on me," Arizona flirted, her lashes dropping part way over her dazzling blue eyes, giving her a seductive air.

In one practiced motion Callie swallowed the shot and stood, pausing a moment to make sure her balance was ok. She stepped away from the bar, throwing some cash from her pocket down beside the empty glass. "Sometimes I think there's a moment, you know?"

Arizona spun on her stool to face the other woman, her expression conveying her confusion.

"A chance, for any two people. They can take it, or they can let it pass them by." Callie's mouth twisted into a sad and rueful moue. "This," she gestured between the two of them, "Is some sort of tragic comedy. We keep running into walls. Maybe the real problem is that we missed our moment."

She backed away, finally allowing herself to get one last, good look at the stunning blonde. "I'll make sure the others know this isn't your fault."

Arizona slumped back against the bar as she watched the other woman leave the bar. Was she right? Were they trying to force something that obviously wasn't meant to be? Unknowingly, her pose was a perfect imitation of Callie's, before she had interrupted her and Mark.

"Another one?"

She jumped slightly and turned around to face the kind-looking bartender.

"No thanks, it won't help."

Joe nodded, studying the dejected woman. He kept an eye on all the doctors that came in here, in part because a lot of them had become friends over the years and in part because their escapades were often better than daytime TV. This one was still pretty new, but he'd seen enough of her (and her with enough women) to have a pretty good idea what was going on.

"Hmm." He gathered up the glasses and slid Callie's money under the bar. "You strike me as a smart lady. If you're wise enough to know what won't help, maybe you know what will? Or who will?"

Arizona's mouth fell open. Did no one in this damned city mind their own business? She reached into her purse to pay the man, trying not to think of the answer her mind had instantly provided for his question.

_Calliope_

* * *

**A/N: So can I say how cool it was that the reviews for the last chapter saw some people on Arizona's side and some on Callie's side? Loved it, thanks to everyone who takes the time to leave me their thoughts. For the hopeless romantics out there, this should get happier quite soon :-)**


	6. Chapter 6

Bleak.

Sometimes it only took one word to sum everything up. Callie almost turned around as the foul weather sent a gust of cold rain lashing against her the moment she opened the door of her apartment building. Gritting her teeth, she jogged across the street to the shelter of the hospital overhang, trying to ignore the pounding, hangover-induced headache that had taken up residence behind her left eye socket. She made an effort to rake a hand through her hair, giving up when it became mired in the wet strands. Damn Yang. Every time she bought a new umbrella, the thoughtless resident took it. Every. Fucking. Time.

She stormed into the hospital, her mood as black as the pre-dawn city. She jabbed at the button on the elevator before pulling her wet hair up in a messy ponytail.

She was halfway into the elevator before she realized it wasn't empty. "Aren't you getting off?" she asked, in an abrupt, awkward tone, blurry memories of last night flashing through her mind.

"Ummm, no." Arizona decided, resuming her position against the wall. "I was just…waiting for it to go back up." She rolled her eyes, a look of disgust flitting over her features. _Waiting for it to go back up? Really? _"Actually, I was hoping I'd have a chance to talk to you."

The elevator dinged, interrupting Arizona as it came to a halt to allow new passengers on.

None other than Callie's unwary roommate entered the elevator car when the doors opened. "Torres." Yang slid her glance dismissively over the pediatric surgeon, electing to say nothing.

"Knock it off Yang," Callie spit out, not in the mood for more drama from Arizona about setting the residents against her. "Act your age for once. And I swear to god, if you ever steal my umbrella again, I'll-"

Arizona, intently eavesdropping, recognized the woman as the one who had suggested that Callie was a whore in the lobby, before their date the other night. She put the name with the face. Bailey had told her Yang was friends with Grey. She tried to follow along, why would she have Callie's umbrella?

"Chill. Jeez Callie, so Blondie turned out to be some sort of McSteamy light. It sucks, but don't take it out on me."

Arizona's eyes widened and she tried to slide inconspicuously away from the two women as the young resident dared to interrupt the angry Latina.

In a swift move, Callie fisted her hand into Christina's scrubs, jerking her up by the shoulder. "I said knock it off." She gave the smaller woman a slight shake before releasing her, gaining satisfaction from the shock on her face. "Tell Grey to quit it too. I've had enough, I don't need anyone to fight my battles for me."

"And bring back my damned umbrella."

Callie shot off the elevator as soon as the doors opened, leaving Yang to follow warily behind her, straightening out her scrubs. Arizona cautiously stepped out of the elevator, only to be confronted in the hallway by a weary Bailey. "I thought I told you to fix that."

"I-" Arizona was interrupted by an exhausted young brunette skidding around the corner.

"Dr. Bailey, his BP is elevated!"

Arizona's eyes narrowed as she looked between the young woman and Bailey. Her suspicions were confirmed when the senior resident shot her a surprised look and took off at a run. Arizona fell in behind her, casting her gaze to the side, "The other Grey, I presume?"

"Lexie Grey, Dr. Robbins," she answered eagerly, easily keeping pace with the older surgeons.

"Tell me what happened Lexie," Arizona said encouragingly.

"I've been monitoring him like Dr. Bailey said-"

"Since yesterday?" Arizona interrupted.

"He deserved a chance," Lexie said simply.

"Good." Arizona turned the corner, following Bailey into the patient's room. "When did you notice his blood pressure rising?"

"Ten minutes ago Dr. Robbins, I knew Dr. Bailey was on the floor so I ran to get her."

"You did well Grey," Arizona said, all business as she moved to his bedside. "What do the readouts say Bailey?"

"His foot twitched!" Lexie yelled, interrupting.

"So it did." Arizona smiled in relief. She leaned closer to the boy, listening to his breath sounds. "Devin," she called softly. "It's time to wake up now." A delighted laugh escaped the young attending as the boy's eyelids flickered up. "You're going to be just fine Devin," she said, reassuring the disoriented young boy as she gestured for Lexie to come up and take over assessing his condition. She looked over at Bailey and nodded slowly. "One miracle…"

Emotion washed over the typically composed resident's face. "_That_," she said emphatically, nodding at the boy no one thought would ever wake up again, "is worth it."

"It really is." Arizona agreed, satisfied. She shook her head slightly and laughed at herself. "It really is worth it." Her eyes twinkled as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned conspiratorially towards the resident, "Bailey, I need to know where I can buy an umbrella."

* * *

"You turned her down?" Mark asked incredulously.

"Why is that so freaking hard to believe?" Stung, she stabbed a french fry aggressively.

"Well, she's hot," drawled Mark teasingly. He held up both hands in mock surrender when she glared at him.

Callie turned her attention to her tray, not in the mood for a conversation. Mark's expression softened. She was a good person, the first person at Seattle Grace to actually give him a chance, to become his friend - she deserved to be happy. His eyes idly scanned the cafeteria, looking for someone to distract her from her gloom. The sight of a familiar-looking blonde caught his attention. She looked for all the world like the new kid at school; she was holding her tray by the cashier's stand, trying to look aloof when in truth she was desperately looking for some place inconspicuous to sit.

Mark stood, hoping to catch her eye. Callie looked up at him. "I shouldn't give relationship advice, we know that. But she made you light up." He held her eyes, determined to make his point. "You lit up. That's not nothing." He stepped back, offering his chair to the seemingly ever-present pediatric surgeon. "Go to Denver."

"Hey." Arizona sat beside the Latina, noting the trapped look that crossed her face. "Denver? What's in Denver?" she asked lightly, hoping to ease into a relaxed conversation. She was surprised by the embarrassed blush that crept up the other woman's neck.

"Umm, it's just a thing we say around here," Callie stammered, unable to entirely lie to the blonde.

"Like McSteamy light?" Arizona laughed, honestly delighted as the other woman's blush deepened. "It's like this place has it's own language. I need an interpreter!"

Irresistible. Even after all the hurt and confusion of yesterday, Callie still found the blonde's laugh irresistible. She grinned slightly, "You're probably better of not knowing."

"There it is." Arizona felt her heart soar at the sight of the small smile, her blue eyes suddenly intent. She leaned closer, daringly reaching across the table to take Callie's hand. "I love that smile."

Callie looked at their entwined hands in confusion, her heart suddenly racing so loudly she wouldn't be surprised if the other woman could hear it. Maybe Mark was right. She'd been humiliated in front of other people twice because of this woman, but did she really give a damn what others thought? She hadn't felt like this since… ever, she acknowledged to herself ruefully.

Arizona, for her part, was marveling at just how _right _it felt to be touching the enchanting Latina again. _One miracle is worth all the pain_.

"Miracle?" Callie questioned, tearing her eyes from their hands to search the blonde's face.

It was Arizona's turn to blush as she realized she'd spoken her thoughts out loud. "I've been thinking about what you said last night, about how maybe we've been running into walls because we missed our chance." She tightened her grip slightly as Callie moved to pull away. "Maybe though, maybe we were just too early."

She flashed her dimples at Callie in a charming grin, gesturing with her other hand to their lunch trays. "Maybe our second first date will be right on time."

Callie quirked an eyebrow, making her decision, "The cafeteria lunch date, really Dr. Robbins? Isn't that code for 'it doesn't mean anything?'"

Arizona had the good grace to look abashed, "I wasn't thinking, I-" She winced as she felt Callie gently slide her hand out from under her own.

Callie grinned as she read the emotions on Arizona's face. "I need that hand to eat," she clarified as she picked up her fork. "So," she teased, "What rules do you have for second first dates?"

A relieved chuckle escaped Arizona as she wrapped her mind around the fact that the dark-haired beauty seemed to be willing to start again. "Well, to start with, second first dates should, optimally, occur on the same day as first second dates."

"Smooth Dr. Robbins, very smooth." Callie took a bite of her lunch, considering. "I'm off at 6."

A triumphant smile spread across her face. "I'll pick you up in the lobby." She poked her fork into her jello, bypassing her salad. "Are we…" She focused all her attention on the green blob, unable to look up. "Are we ok?"

Callie bit her lip, trying to remember her reservations about the other doctor. Instead, she found herself focusing on the way the light caught in her blonde curls. "I'm ok, are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm ok." Arizona smiled teasingly, "I'll be better tonight though, second dates are super fun."

"Oh, are they?" Callie flirted back. "You picked the first date, I think it's my turn."

Arizona considered, "I guess that's fair."

"And," Callie drawled, "I have some rules of my own for second first dates and first second dates."

Arizona's charming laugh rang out. "Do tell."

"Well," Callie began, leaning in as if conveying a secret, "First date rules don't apply to second first dates."

Arizona's blue eyes darkened. She could feel a tightness in her chest and her breathing hitched slightly. She focused on the other woman's lips, torn between the knowledge that Callie was literally asking to be kissed and their current less-than-private location.

Callie fought against the thrill she felt at the blonde's suddenly intent expression, trying to keep her smile light and teasing. "And, since tonight could be considered by some a third date, second date rules don't apply either."

Arizona's mouth fell open, "You don't even know what my second date rules are!" she protested.

"I know I don't like rules," Callie replied in a low voice.

All the blonde could do was gulp and nod. This woman was going to be the death of her, but she had a feeling she was going to enjoy it. She was leaning in to continue the sexy banter when she felt her pager vibrate on her hip.

"Drats," she said, unclipping it, "Emergency in peds, I've gotta run."

"6pm," Callie replied, nonchalantly helping herself to another bite of her lunch.

Arizona narrowed her eyes slightly, the Latina was acting far too self-assured. Standing, she bent to pick up her tray, purposefully angling her face in front of the other woman's. "6pm," she whispered, mere inches away. She waited, watching the shock quickly fade to heavy-lidded _want_. She brushed her lips lightly against Callie's, humming in approval at the way the other woman leaned into the kiss. She pulled back a few inches, waiting until Callie opened her eyes. "Calliope?" She bit her lip at the look in those dark eyes, reminding herself that they were in public. "Best second first date ever."

* * *

**A/N: Wow, so you guys left more reviews for the last chapter than for any I've ever written - thanks so much! See how that's rewarding the angst? :-D I hope this didn't disappoint - and now things get happier, so yay! I may *warning* at some point change the rating on this fic, as it's currently set at T, and there are things I can't say. If folks don't want that, I could always break and do a second, separate fic I suppose.**


	7. Chapter 7

"Hey."

Arizona bit the corner of her lip to keep from smiling. To say that the Latina looked frazzled and nervous would have been a gross understatement. "Hi."

"I am so sorry, I got caught up in a crush repair. Did you get my message? This construction worker totally got his legs mangled by a-" She broke off abruptly, noticing the slight wince cross the blonde's face. "And you don't want the details."

"Not about the accident, please," Arizona agreed sweetly, "But if you want to tell me how you rocked the repair over dinner, I'll be all ears."

"Dinner!" Callie exclaimed, wincing dramatically. "Crap, I'm so sorry Arizona. I was going to call and move the reservation, but I got caught up in-"

"Yes, the mangled crushing," Arizona finished for her. "That's ok, it's late for a restaurant anyway. We can just grab something. Maybe that diner over on 8th?"

Callie grimaced, "That's lame, and you said second dates are supposed to be fun." She eyed the blonde consideringly, reasoning with herself under her breath, "Well, maybe not for a second date, but for a third it'd be ok, and this could really be either, so maybe-"

"I'm sorry?" Arizona inquired politely, interrupting the other woman's somewhat disjointed muttering.

"C'mon," Callie said decisively, reaching out to take the blonde's hand and tug her toward the door. She was forced to a stop just outside the main doors. Confused, she turned to see why the other woman had dug her heels in. "What's wrong?"

Arizona shook her head, a surprisingly appealing giggle bubbling out of her. The Latina was dragging her out into the dark after a hurried and mumbled conversation with herself, and she was asking what's wrong? That wasn't why she was laughing though. Another giggle escaped her lips; she was laughing because that wasn't why she had stopped the dark-haired beauty at all.

"It's raining."

"Oh," Callie exhaled, relieved. "Sorry, my umbrella- well, you know." She pointed across the street, "It's not far, we can run for it."

Blue eyes followed the direction of Callie's finger. She recognized the building, having taken Callie home after their first date. Arizona pretended to consider the distance, "I don't know, wet dog isn't really a good look on me."

Callie rolled her eyes, nerves displaced by the quick smile that flashed across her face. "It sounds like you're fishing for a compliment, but I'll take the bait." She captured both of Arizona's hands in her own and attempted to tug her out from under the awning. "I'm sure you're still beautiful when you're wet."

Arizona's dimples flashed as the Latina winced, realizing what she had said, "As…intriguing as it would be to let you find out, I have an alternative." She freed a hand and dug into her shoulder bag. "Ta da!"

Embarrassment turned to skepticism. "Really not sure that your sparkly pink umbrella deserves such fanfare."

"_Your_ sparkly pink umbrella."

Callie floundered for a moment before smiling weakly. "Oh, Thanks. It's…great."

Arizona chuckled at the poorly masked horror on the other woman's face at the prospect of carrying the sparkly umbrella. "I did debate the boring colors, but you seem to have some troubles with this Yang person stealing your umbrella. I thought maybe she wouldn't take this one."

"That's for sure," Callie muttered, unsheathing the umbrella from its carrying case. Any lingering hope abandoned her as she worked the mechanism to open the umbrella. It was sparkly pink throughout, except for the large image of Hello Kitty in the center. "It was really…thoughtful of you Arizona," she said sincerely as they ducked under the umbrella to cross the street. She hurried them along, more to get out of sight than to avoid the inclement weather. While it was truly quite kind of the other woman, god help her if anyone caught sight of her with this thing.

* * *

"So this is it," Callie said, chucking the umbrella into the corner before holding out a hand to take the other woman's coat.

"It's nice," Arizona replied, looking around. It was slightly more modern, and certainly darker than her taste usually ran - but other than the slight mess, it really was quite classy.

"I hope it's ok, I thought I'd make us dinner, since I pretty much ruined our chances of going out tonight," Callie said over her shoulder, already moving into the kitchen.

"Chicken piccata?" Arizona teased, sidling up to the counter.

Callie shot the blonde a wry look, "Not without going shopping, but I think I can-" her voice was muffled as she scrounged through the fridge. "There we go! I knew Cristina wouldn't eat it." She emerged from the fridge, triumphantly brandishing a large yellow … thing.

"What is it?" Arizona questioned, somewhat cautiously.

"It's a spaghetti squash Arizona," the Latina answered with a roll of her eyes.

"I may be a bit naïve at times Calliope, but I do know a few things. Spaghetti does not come from a vegetable," Arizona said mulishly, crossing her arms over her chest. Her attempt at a stubborn pout was foiled though by the irrepressible dimple that always gave her away when she was trying to tease someone.

Callie laughed at the sight before reluctantly turning her attention to the squash, there was something so endearing about a grown woman who could pout like a five year old. "Trust me, after this, you'll never go back to regular spaghetti again," she bragged.

Arizona watched with some interest as the dark-haired woman attacked the squash with a large knife. Maybe the delayed start to their date was a bit of good luck. The dark-haired woman had certainly seemed nervous about their second try, but her confidence had returned in the kitchen. Arizona let her eyes skim over the distracted woman's form; there was certainly _something _there when the other woman was being herself, something irresistible. She shifted slightly closer to have a better view of what Callie was doing. A thought occurred to her, "Who's Cristina?"

"Oh, she's-"

"Awake now, thanks to you."

Arizona turned sharply at the acerbic voice that sounded behind her. Her blue eyes widened dramatically.

"Yeah, I live with Yang. Cristina Yang. Unfortunately." Callie interjected before looking up from her dinner preparations. "Who doesn't seem to own any pants. Why aren't you at the hospital, trolling for some complex surgery?"

Nonplussed, Cristina padded her way into the kitchen, scratching her lower back through her sleep shirt as she dodged both Callie and Arizona on the way to the fridge. "With no cardio god, all the good surgeries go to Mercy West. I don't troll for the likes of appendectomies and brain shunts."

"Ugh, Yang - use a glass!" Callie erupted in disgust.

Cristina wiped the back of her hand over her mouth and replaced the cap on the orange juice. "A little late for that isn't it?" She shifted her gaze to Arizona, who instantly grew apprehensive at the attention. "Hey wait, you're an attending. Do you have any tiny heart cases?"

Blonde curls bounced as Arizona tipped her head to the side, regarding the odd young resident with a dumbfounded look. "Because we're such good friends?"

"Yeah, let's go with that," Cristina retorted, acknowledging the pediatric surgeon's tone with a smirk.

"No," Callie interjected firmly. "No hitting Arizona up for cases." She waved the spatula she was currently using at Cristina for added emphasis. "Now go find somewhere else to be." She moved the skillet off the heat, satisfied that the contents had properly sautéed, before moving towards the counter. She inwardly heaved a sigh of relief as the difficult young cardio resident disappeared back into her bedroom without a fight - she had already gotten physical with Yang once in front of Arizona, she didn't want the blonde woman to think she had aggression problems, but she really didn't want a snarky commentator for her attempt at a fresh start with the blonde.

"Wine?" she asked with a slightly nervous smile, as a silence descended upon the apartment.

Arizona nodded, "Yes please, wh-"

"White," Callie finished for her, already moving to uncork the bottle. "I remember from the other night."

Arizona smiled and graciously accepted the proffered glass. "I could get used to this."

"Wine?"

The confusion written across the other woman's face was too much, Arizona laughed out loud. "No, having a protector," she replied, inclining her head toward where Cristina had disappeared.

"Oh." Callie felt the blush creeping up her cheeks and hoped that the light was too low for Arizona to make it out. She wasn't sure if the blonde was teasing her or flirting with her, but either option was slightly unnerving. "I'm sorry about her, and I'm sorry I got caught up tonight and made us lat-" She stopped abruptly as a soft, pale finger landed lightly upon her lips.

"I understand emergency surgery, and while someone _should_ apologize for Yang, it shouldn't be you." Arizona inched closer until she was standing just in front of the taller woman. A smile danced around the edges of her lips, "We're done with apologies for the day."

"Was there a quota?" Callie replied, trying desperately to appear cool and unaffected, a near-impossibility while Arizona's errant finger was tracing the curve of her lower lip. "Would this be some sort of rule?" she breathed out.

"No rules," Arizona denied, "You said no rules. Which is a shame, because my second date rule is to work in a kiss early. You know, to make sure there's enough chemistry to warrant a third date."

Dark eyes flared. "Well, not all rules are bad, necessarily," Callie replied in a reasonably level voice, her gaze slipping to soft, moist pink lips.

"I know," Arizona said wistfully, taking a small step backward and dropping her hand. "It's a shame you don't like rules."

Even as Callie's mouth dropped open, her eyes were narrowing. The blonde was definitely teasing _and _flirting, simultaneously. In somewhat of a daze, she moved to put the finishing touches on their dinner. Casting a glance over her shoulder, she caught a glimpse of Arizona watching her with an amused expression. The challenge was irresistible. Moving to take down dinner plates, she called over her shoulder. "Why don't you put on some music, the docking station is over by the window."

Callie set the table swiftly before transferring the contents of the pan directly onto the two dinner plates and carrying them to the table. She bit back a chuckle at the muttered sounds coming from the window, as the petite surgeon fought with her stereo equipment.

"Seriously, I have a freakin M.D., how hard can this _be_?" Arizona grumbled under her breath, trying to manipulate the sensitive touch screen. She stiffened as she felt a warm body pressing against her back.

"Here, let me help you," Callie murmured in a low voice as she reached around the blonde, pressing even closer to hook her chin over Arizona's shoulder. "It takes a light touch." She spun through the options, selecting a shuffled playlist. "See? Easy." Callie's confidence sky-rocketed as the blonde nodded dumbly, obviously affected by her closeness. "Are you ready?" Callie asked, tilting her face closer to blonde curls, inhaling their delicate scent.

"R-ready?" Arizona parroted, suddenly the nervous one. She felt a strong hand on her hip, urging her to turn. She readily shifted to face Callie, hesitant blue eyes meeting laughing brown.

"For dinner."

It took a moment; but when her mind settled enough for a coherent thought to form, the only one circulating was that it was proving to be dangerous to challenge the Latina

* * *

**A/N: Sorry - I'm not really sure what happened here. I am pretty busy IRL, but that wasn't even the problem - I just found this chapter impossible to write. I hope this was ok, I'll try to do better next time (and I promise next time won't be a month from now). Thanks for all the lovely reviews on the last chapter, as always - quite appreciated.**


	8. Chapter 8

"Wow."

"I told you it was good." Callie laughed at the expression on Arizona's face as she took a larger bite. "Squash _and _spinach," she teased, "If only the kids at the hospital could see you now…"

Arizona's lips twisted briefly in mock distain, "No mocking, the food will get cold." She took another bite, chewing in earnest. "You're wasting your time in orthopedic surgery."

Callie laughed and shook her head, eating her own dinner at a more sedate pace. Her nerves had fled as soon as she'd picked up the gauntlet Arizona had tossed her way earlier in the evening. Realizing that she could fluster the blonde woman did wonders for her self-confidence.

Callie had only recently discovered that she actually enjoyed cooking for other people, giving them the simple pleasure of a good meal. Cooking for Arizona though, that came with an added reward. She shifted slightly in her chair as another soft moan of enjoyment sounded through the room. She reached for her wine glass and took a long swallow.

"So does everyone know?"

Callie startled, surprised to find the other woman's attention squarely on her as she lowered her glass. "Know what?"

"That you're-" Arizona's brow furrowed as she searched for the right way to say what she was thinking. "That you date women too?"

An eyebrow arched playfully, "You're the one who heard it through the grapevine, you tell me."

Arizona looked skyward in exasperation, "Some people don't listen to gossip, and besides, there's a difference between rumor and … well, knowing. Seeing."

The teasing smile disappeared. "First off, everyone at Seattle Grace listens to gossip. And second, are you seriously asking if I'm ok being seen in public with a woman?"

Arizona fidgeted with her fork, "You seemed nervous. Tonight, about this. From what I've heard, no one really knew about you and… and Dr. Hahn until after she left."

"I kissed you at lunch," Callie replied, glazing over the subject of her last disastrous foray into dating a woman.

"I kissed you," Arizona corrected, "And it wasn't until after that you started acting nervous." A muscle in her cheek tightened, saying it out loud only confirmed the fears that had been lurking in the back of her mind. It made sense after all; people often had trouble facing up to what 'being out' really meant, maybe Callie had realized how much things could change. Maybe she wasn't ready. Arizona quailed at the idea; she wasn't sure she was willing to go through all of that again.

Callie put down her fork and took a measured sip of wine. "I was nervous," she conceded, feeling the butterflies in her stomach fluttering that much faster at her admission. "I was nervous that something might go wrong, that I might do something to make you realize that you didn't want to bother with a newborn after all. That you might say something that would make you less amazing." She met Arizona's gaze as the other woman finally looked at her. "I'm not sure you could. And I'm not sure I've ever felt like this before, at the start of something new. I really want this to work, so yeah, I was nervous." Her voice, until then soft and unsure, hardened slightly, "Will I walk down the halls of the hospital holding hands with you? Well, that's not really my thing - but I'm not against all public displays of affection, and I sure as hell don't care what some nosy nurses or stuffy doctors think about my personal life. I'm over caring about that crap. My friends don't judge me on who I date, and they're the only ones whose opinions matter to me."

Arizona felt a weight lifting as she listened to the obviously sincere woman. "You're amazing," she replied in a soft voice. "I'm sorry I called you a newborn."

"Twice," clarified Callie jokingly, eager to move the talk towards more lighthearted things.

"Twice," Arizona conceded with a laugh. "And never fear, I'm sure we can reach some sort of compromise on the hand-holding issue." Her dimples deepened, her smile growing as the dark-haired woman laughed. "Hey, hand-holding is big in my world, it's almost as important as sitting next to the other person at lunch."

Callie smiled fondly, "I remember those days. Check 'yes' or 'no.'" She leaned back in her chair. "Ryan Carlton in the second grade - my very first boyfriend. You?"

Arizona smiled mischievously, "I was in love with my third grade teacher, Mrs. Felton."

"Is that what made you pick pediatrics? An enduring love of all things elementary school?" Callie teased.

"No," Arizona replied, a wistful look passing over her face so quickly Callie couldn't be sure it was ever really there. "I was sure I was going to be a trauma surgeon until my peds rotation. It's competitive, you know? It attracts the wrong kind of people, the people who want to be the best at the best, and who sacrifice everything to do it - including patient care. It's cut-throat." She shrugged, self-conscious, "I decided I was needed there more than in trauma surgery; I could be a good pediatric surgeon while also reassuring the tiny humans and their makers." She shifted in her chair, uncomfortable with having revealed so much. "And it didn't hurt that I have the mindset of a 12 year old," she joked weakly.

"Hmm," Callie intoned, not buying the other woman's self-deprecation in the least, but sensing that Arizona didn't want to be pushed.

"So," Arizona said more briskly, now the one keen to move along the conversation. "Can you magic up a delicious dessert out of some odd vegetable?" she asked, a hopeful expression on her face.

Callie laughed, "You're kind of a dork, you know that right?" She stood, taking their plates, "I'm pretty sure dessert's a no-go, sorry. Yang ferrets out anything sweet pretty quickly."

Arizona sat for a moment, reveling in the resident's careless teasing. It felt right, natural even. Usually women weren't sure how to treat her childish side, often choosing to either ignore it or (even worse) treat her like a child. It seemed like Callie could interchange teasing looks with steamy ones at the drop of a hat though - an ability Arizona found remarkably compelling. As if the other woman was reading her mind, the pediatric surgeon found herself pinned by intense brown eyes as Callie returned to the table, bringing the wine bottle to top up their glasses. "That's a shame, I have a weakness for sweets," she said lightly as she met the other woman's gaze. She stood to follow, wine glass in hand, as Callie returned the bottle to the kitchen.

"So I need to know." Turning to face the blonde, Callie listed off the numbers on her fingers, "First dates are no kissing, second-first dates should happen on the same day as first-second dates, second dates are _supposed_ to be kissing… what are third dates?"

"Been thinking about it huh?" teased Arizona, stepping closer. "Well, for starters I usually dress up a bit more," she said, indicating her simple gray shirt and jeans.

Taking the invitation, Callie appraised the blonde's outfit thoroughly. "Yeah, I can see that," she deadpanned.

Lifting her eyebrows, Arizona returned the gesture, scanning Callie's outfit, her eyes lingering on the way the clingy purple fabric of her top hugged her curves. "Anyway, I do have something I like to do on third dates, but you don't like rules, so…"

"Oh no," Callie interjected quickly, "I said second date rules don't apply. Third date rules are fine."

"Are you sure?" Arizona queried, teeth worrying her lower lip slightly. At the brunette's nod, she stepped closer, lifting a hand to brush a dark fall of hair over the other woman's shoulder. "Well in that case-" she reached for Callie's hands, entwining their fingers and using the connection to pull the taller woman out of the kitchen. "Let's dance!"

"Funny," growled the Latina as she followed the blonde into the living room. Fortuitously, a new song began just as Arizona turned to face her, their hands still joined.

_There's a piece of me you can't have,  
and I know that it's driving you mad._

Callie's inclination to play it cool flew out the window as soon as she saw the other woman begin to dance. It was dorky, yes; but it was also free and honest. She simply watched for a moment, reveling in a side of Arizona that she guessed few people were privileged to see.

_There's a part inside you can't reach,  
I'm afraid that's the way it's gonna be._

Drawn in, Callie began to move with the other woman.

_There's a part of you that wants to fight,  
but I never really had the appetite.  
I fear my feelings won't speak,  
Words will be taken upon the breeze.  
Wind is always blowing._

Callie paused, holding out her arms and gesturing in time with the music, "And…here…it….comes!"

* * *

"Whew!" Arizona exclaimed, dropping onto the couch.

"Your idea," Callie responded breathlessly, as she collapsed beside the blonde. They had lasted through a series of upbeat numbers, and as much fun as she was having (much to her initial surprise), she was glad that Arizona had called it quits. Maybe she was out of shape. Mark had suggested that they start jogging together, maybe she'd take him up on it…

All thoughts of Mark or exercise or anything coherent fled as she felt the other woman shift dangerously close. She turned her head slowly, her heart racing.

"I'd like to kiss you," Arizona murmured, stopping mere inches away to breathe in the scent of the Latina. Her eyes scanned Callie's face for permission, delighting in the transparent emotions flittering across her strong features. Nervousness. Anticipation. Longing. Desire. Arizona allowed her eyes to close at the last moment, leaning forward the final inches to claim her prize. She felt the other woman release a shaky breath just before their lips met, gently brushing at first, then coming back for more at the soft sound of pleasure that escaped from Callie.

Arizona deepened the kiss, whimpering herself at the feel of tentative hands lightly stroking up and down her sides. Leaning forward, she pressed her upper body against Callie's, her brain clouding further at the new sensations. Her hand slid through dark heavy locks, gently holding the other woman to her by the nape of the neck as she swirled her tongue through the Latina's mouth, captivated by her taste.

Callie moaned into the kiss, her hands still stroking lightly over the blonde's back and sides, unsure where to land. Nothing had prepared her for this; the heat of the other woman's kiss was rendering her incapable of coherent thought. All she could do was hang on for the ride. She gasped as she felt a small hand edge under the bottom of her blouse, tracing a fiery trail across the sensitive skin of her stomach.

"Calliope," Arizona panted in a husky voice, tearing her lips away, "We should stop this."

"Wh-why?" Callie managed, slipping a hand into soft curls to try to urge the other woman's mouth to hers again.

Arizona groaned, tracing her hand against a heaving rib cage. She wanted nothing more than to undress the other woman and explore her body. She felt yet another rush of heat surge through her at the thought. She placed a fast, hard kiss on warm, soft lips before reluctantly sliding her hand out from under the other woman's shirt. "It's too soon, I'm not going to rush you."

She shook her head in a quick, sharp motion at the look on Callie's face. "No, I'm not going to make the mistake of calling you a newborn again." A smile flickered across her lips, reflected in eyes a darker shade of blue than usual. "I know you're sure of you, I just want you to be sure of us." She looked down, somewhat surprised to see her fingers tracing an idle pattern on Callie's thigh.

"Okay."

Arizona looked up, surprised by the easy acquiescence.

Callie grinned at the other woman's obvious confusion, her breath still coming quickly. "I really…_really_ don't want to stop, but I do want to get it right. I want to get _this_ right," she said, covering the hand on her thigh with her own. "I don't have a lot of experience with this," she admitted in a low voice as she traced her fingers over the back of Arizona's hand.

A delicate, contagious laugh rang out. "Calliope," Arizona drawled as she leaned forward again, brushing their lips together. "I have a feeling that whatever _this_ is, I don't have a lot of experience with it either."

This time it was Callie who deepened the kiss. Long moments passed as they kissed, exploring each other's mouths, yet both careful to respect the boundaries that Arizona had set. Finally, breathing heavily, Callie drew back. Her dark eyes traced the flush spread across pale, delicate cheeks, the swollen lips, and finally, the deep blue eyes lazily opening. "I don't think that chemistry is going to be a problem," she said breathily, referring to Arizona's second date rule.

* * *

**A/N: An update! I hope it didn't disappoint. If you're so inclined, let me know what you think - I 3 reviews like reality show contestants 3 attention. **

**I may change the rating of this tale before the next update, so either search for "All ratings" or bookmark it somehow if you want to continue to follow it (and I hope you do!) :-)**


	9. Chapter 9

A second series of knocks echoed through the apartment. "Goddamnit Mark, I'm coming!" Callie cursed loudly as she rounded the breakfast bar too quickly and stubbed her bar toe on a stool. "What the hell is so freaking important that you can't wai-" Her tirade ended abruptly as she pulled the door open to find wide blue eyes staring out of a face framed sweetly with blonde curls. "Oh."

"Oh," Arizona echoed, her eyes widening even further as she took in the vision in front of her. "Do you always greet Mark this way?"

"Sorry," Callie began in a rush, "I wasn't expecting anyone. You. I wasn't expecting you to knock on my door this morning. I thought it was Mark being an ass. I didn't mean to swear at you."

"That's not what I meant," Arizona replied, the initial shock fading into an impish grin. "I kind of like this greeting." She let her eyes follow a droplet of water as it dripped from a dark lock down a bare shoulder before being absorbed into the red towel fastened in a knot across the Latina's chest.

Callie's initial anxiousness morphed into amusement at the obvious distraction the sight of her in a towel posed to the blonde surgeon. "Good morning Arizona," she said, tongue firmly in cheek.

"Hmm?"

Callie's shoulders shook in silent laughter, laughter that redoubled as the blonde's gaze intensified at her movement. "Arizona," she repeated, the laughter evident in her voice.

Arizona visibly shook her head before lifting her eyes enough to direct a rueful grin at Callie. "Can you blame me?" she asked cheekily, quickly deciding there was no point in trying to pretend she hadn't been staring.

Callie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest as she cocked a hip against the door frame. "Perving aside, was there a point to this early-morning visit?"

"Why does perving have to be an aside?" Arizona asked, leaning in easily to press a light kiss to the taller woman's lips. "You can't expect me to resist when you're so delightfully flushed and wet from the shower." She punctuated her statement with gentle kisses, feeling a thrill of satisfaction when Callie's hands dropped to rest on her hips, pulling her closer.

"Niiiiice!"

Both women jumped at the loud interruption, breaking their embrace.

"Coming or going Robbins?" Mark grinned devilishly, "Or both?"

Callie growled, "Suck it Mark."

"I just wanted to bring you this," Arizona said in an embarrassed rush, thrusting a box into Callie's hands before slipping quickly down the hall towards the elevators.

"Goddamnit Mark!" Callie groaned, for the second time that morning. "Your timing is horrible."

"That's not what you used to say," Mark teased, craning his neck to watch the pediatric surgeon for as long as he could. "So that's back on, huh? Good for you Torres, she's hot."

Callie stepped back and slammed the door behind her, purposefully ignoring her best friend. She allowed herself a moment to relive their kisses, a foolish smile on her face as she clutched the gift from Arizona. Dinner the other night had gone so well, but their schedules had clashed ever since and she hadn't seen the blonde in two days. She had started to get antsy last night, and had spent the hour before bed debating with herself if texting the other woman at this point would look cute or clingy. Given her self-acknowledged previous failings to recognize that line, she had ultimately decided against contacting the other woman. Thinking about the blonde before bed had interesting side effects though, which was why she had just been getting out of the shower when Arizona knocked on her door.

Anticipation growing, Callie placed the box on the counter, unable to imagine what Arizona would have brought her. She laughed as she lifted the lid, carefully picking the pink piece of paper off of the sticky doughnuts.

_You deserve sweet things - don't let Cristina eat them first!_

_A_

* * *

"Blood pressure is 90 over 50 and dropping."

"Left pupil is non-responsive."

"He's seizing Dr. Robbins!"

"Shoot another 10 of diazepam and page cardio!" Arizona looked up as the monitor sounds began to slow their frantic pace, her hands deep in the open wound on the boy's leg as she applied pressure. "He's stabilizing but we need to get him into the OR before he crashes again. Tell cardio and ortho to meet me there, get attendings. Let's move people!"

"Dr. Robbins, can I scrub in?"

"If you move it Karev. Let's _go _people - a life's on the line here!"

* * *

"What do we have?"

Arizona looked up as the doors to the scrub room swung open, admitting three masked and gowned doctors. "A five year old who was pinned in his booster seat during a collision with a tractor trailer. He crashed once in the ER and again about 10 minutes ago. He's stable for now, and Dr. Karev and I have tied off most of the major bleeders. He's got an open chest wound with a partially severed artery and his right tibia and fibula are broken in at least three places."

"Right, you've done great getting him stable Dr…"

"Robbins, Arizona Robbins."

"Oh, the new head of peds I've been hearing so much about! I saw you at the last staff meeting, but it's nice to meet you in person, I'm Teddy Altman, cardio." Pleasantries aside, Teddy stepped up to the other side of the table, her resident trailing. "Let's get in there. Avery, give me some light suction."

"Do you want me to take over there, Arizona?" Callie asked, gesturing with gloved hands to the opened leg.

Arizona didn't step aside, "Can you handle it Dr. Torres? I had requested Dr. Chang," she said, naming the head of ortho. "I usually don't let residents perform complex surgeries on their own without clearing it by their department head first."

Callie's eyebrows shot under her light blue scrub cap as she stared at the woman questioning her abilities in a cool tone, as if they were mere acquaintances. "Yes, _Dr. Robbins_," she emphasized, "I am more than capable of fixing this boy's leg. If you'd like to wait for Dr. Chang though, I'm sure the repair can wait until after he's had his morning coffee."

A heavy silence filled the OR as Callie stepped forward, without waiting for permission, and began to probe the open wound. "Clamp."

Over her head, Karev and Avery made eye contact. Arizona snapped back to herself as a scrub nurse giggled at the tension. "Alright people, let's give this little boy his life back."

* * *

"Alright, I think we're done here. Good work everyone." Arizona stood to her full height, her back cracking after leaning forward over the table for so long. She nodded at Karev, Avery and Altman having left an hour ago to scrub in on another emergent case. She attempted to include Callie in her gesture, but the dark head remained turned downward as she stitched.

Her head cocked, she tried again. "Calliope?"

A brow quirked slightly before the resident wrangled it under control, "I'm going to close myself to minimize scarring Dr. Robbins, go ahead. Someone page me Sloan."

Arizona's jaw clenched at the professional tone from the other woman. Her temper was apparent by the way she threw her mask into the recycling bin in the scrub room.

"That was pretty cold," Karev observed as he washed up.

"I know, right! She's a resident and I'm an attending, she can't get upset because of the way I run my OR," Arizona fumed.

"No dude, I mean the way you questioned her skills in front of the whole OR team. She's the best ortho this hospital's got," Karev muttered nonchalantly as he dried his hands.

"I'm sorry, what?" Arizona's jaw dropped.

"I mean, you're screwing her, right?"

"I'm sorry," Arizona's tone this time was less questioning and more warning.

"Don't be, she's hot," Karev replied, willfully misinterpreting the irate attending. "I mean, it's a shame you're a lesbian and all, and Torres too, apparently," he added thoughtfully, "But you can't have it both ways - either you're her boss or you're her girlfriend."

"G-gir, we're not, I mean, I'm not-" Arizona stammered.

"Whatever," Alex shrugged as he pushed his way out of the scrub room, "But Torres doesn't keep personal and work separate."

* * *

"Not too shabby Torres, I can tweak this a bit and the boy won't have much of a scar at all. It's a shame, really, chicks dig scars."

"Yeah, it'll be a while before he cares about that Mark," Callie replied shortly.

Mark's eyes widened slightly at her tone, "It's pretty early in the morning to be that surly, what did I miss?"

"Nothing," her tone did not brook further questions.

"Don't bite my head off, but I've got to say it. You've been pretty crazy since you started up with Blondie, are you sure she's good for you?"

"You got this?" Callie asked in reply, stepping back from the table. The last thing she wanted to do was further discuss her relationship, or lack thereof, in front of the same OR team that had witnessed Arizona treating her like a first year resident.

* * *

Arizona left Ian's room in a good mood. Only 20 hours post-op and he was already awake and his vitals were strong. His parents, who had escaped the worst of the crash, had kept her with their thanks longer than she'd intended to stay and she was overdue for a scheduled surgery. Seeing a queue at the elevator, she opted for the stairs. The spring in her step only intensified as she saw the dark-haired woman slowly trudging up the stairs toward her, obviously on her way in for the day.

She attempted to hide a smile as the resident saw her and quickly redirected her gaze to the rail she was holding as she climbed. Arizona had always done well when left to stew over something, often far better than she did in the moment. A day apart had given her the distance she'd needed to see Callie's side of things, with Karev's advice about Callie ringing in her ears. Part of what drew her so strongly to the woman was her obvious passion, so she was just going to have to get used to doing things a bit differently.

Practically skipping down the stairs, Arizona shifted over at the last minute to intercept Callie. Her smile took over as the other woman finally looked up at her, her dimples deepening as Callie smiled hesitantly in response. Her hands slid easily under the soft leather labels of the jacket the other woman wore, tugging slightly to pull Callie into her. Her breath caught as she inhaled the fresh scent of the other woman, teasingly pressing open-mouthed kisses to her as she held her captive. Finally yielding to her desire, she slid her tongue into Callie's mouth, stroking seductively.

The sound of a door slamming a few floors up made her pull back, but not before she delved in for one last kiss.

"Hi."

Callie laughed breathlessly, her brain still struggling to process the blonde's lightening fast mood shifts. "Hey."

Arizona twisted a dark lock around her finger before smiling winningly, "Forgive me for not realizing you're the best orthopedic surgeon in Seattle?"

"West of the Mississippi," Callie clarified jokingly.

"West of the Mississippi," Arizona parroted sincerely. She stepped back as a hurried intern ran past them, barely sparing them a glance. "I'm not used to mixing work and…pleasure. I'll work on it."

Callie drew her lower lip into her mouth at the blonde's teasing tone, her body still tingling from Arizona's greeting. "As long as you know I'm the best at what I do," she said in a low tone.

"I'm learning," Arizona said, smoothing Callie's labels down as she stepped around her, "How about a private lesson in your awesomeness tonight? My place, eight o'clock?"

Callie nodded, helpless to resist the dimpled smile the blonde was aiming at her. Arizona immediately bounced the rest of the way down the stairs but Callie stood still for a moment before starting to climb again. Laughing to herself, she shook her head. The new attending was easily the most complicated and changeable person Callie had ever dated, but despite that, or perhaps because of it, she couldn't wait to find out what would happen next.

* * *

**A/N: So I know Altman wasn't on the show at this point, but I wanted her (-: I'm not necessarily following the storyline all too faithfully anyway - I'm inclined to skip Carlos' visit, at least for now. Hope this was ok - especially for those who wanted the stairwell scene (-; As to what the rest of you want, hopefully the next chapter...  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: My hope is that it would be clear regardless, but just in case… italics are either someone's internal dialogue or a word that was emphasized in speech.**

_Shit, shit, shit,_ Arizona berated herself as she gathered an armful of clothing that had somehow migrated to the back of the couch. She swore aloud as she caught sight of the clock on the microwave, with it's heartless green numbers marching determinedly onward, regardless of whether or not she was ready.

7:20.

She dashed into the bedroom, dropping the pile of clothes into the hamper as she confronted the bed. _The sheets are clean, right?_ She shook herself even as she had the thought, why even waste precious time tidying the bedroom? This was only the third or (given their rocky and somewhat unusual start) fourth date; there was no way she was getting Calliope into bed.

7:26

She acknowledged her eternal optimism with a wry grin as she finished tucking the sheet in properly and straightened the comforter. _It never hurts to be prepared._

Straightening up, Arizona surveyed her room. The lack of personal effects made it appear somewhat stark, but the warm, honeyed wood of her furnishings and the bright blue bedspread brought touches of cheer. She kicked the edge of the clothing hamper so that she could close the door to her somewhat messy closet. _There. That's as good as it's going to get._

Her eyes were drawn to the microwave as she reentered the living area of her apartment.

7:35.

'_Shit, shit, shit,'_ her internal monologue continued as she moved to light the candles on top of the bookshelf. Moving the matchbox revealed a lighter, dust-free square of wood. Arizona winced, her lightening-quick mind immediately stretching back in search of the last time she had really cleaned. Reaching the conclusion that she _hadn't_, in fact, cleaned since moving in, she darted for the box of cleaning supplies she remembered placing in the hall closet.

After swiping every readily available surface in the apartment with a dust cloth, all the while thanking that her military upbringing meant she had no knickknacks or dust-catchers to slow the process, she threw the cleaning supplies recklessly back into the closet and slammed the door.

7:48.

She paused for a moment and closed her eyes, gathering herself. _This is going to be all right Arizona Robbins. The apartment is fine. Calliope will not judge you if she finds a dust bunny. _She willed herself to relax as continued her pep talk. _You have 12 minutes. You can shower in seven; you've done it before. You already know what you're going to wear_. _Leave your hair as it is, it'll be fine._ Calmer, Arizona opened her eyes and headed to the bathroom.

* * *

She was late. Arizona hit the button on her cell phone again, causing it to light up and show the time. The past-eight-o'clock time. She was unable to see the microwave from her carefully nonchalant position on the couch and was unwilling to admit defeat by turning to look. The mocking green numbers could shove it. She looked down, considering, and then carefully crossed her legs, angling her knees to the side.

A sudden knock on the door startled her out of her contemplations. Arizona jumped up nervously, forgetting her plan to coolly call out for Callie to enter.

She paused in front of the door. "Who is it?" Arizona winced. _Damnit, that wasn't cool._

"Umm, Callie?" came the response, muffled by the door.

Arizona opened the door, her nervous energy propelling her forward for a quick kiss on the cheek before she stepped back to allow the other woman inside. "You're late." Silently cursing herself for her less-than-stellar greeting, she rallied, giving the tall woman a flirtatious once-over, taking in loose waves of hair, the ever-present leather jacket, off-the-shoulder silky red top, dark jeans, and simple flats. "But you look really pretty." She bit her lower lip lightly, consciously working to keep her gaze trained on dark, expressive eyes. _Did the woman __**own **__anything other than boob shirts?_

A dark eyebrow swooped up as the other woman shook her jacket sleeve back to reveal an expensive watch. "Yes… by exactly five minutes. I apologize." Callie grinned mockingly back before returning the favor, her eyes sweeping over Arizona's disheveled curls and clingy blue sweater, lingering slightly on the bare feet peeking out from under what seemed like excessively tight jeans. She grinned, what sort of adult woman painted her toenails pretty pink?

"Forgiven," Arizona replied cheekily, grateful that the dark-haired resident was rolling with her craziness. Even though they'd been seeing each other a few weeks, and even had their first major fight out of the way, the tall orthopedic surgeon still made her feel nervous and jittery. "I hope it never changes."

"My being late?" Callie teased, aware that she had lost the other woman to her thoughts.

"Oh," Arizona blushed as she realized she'd spoken aloud. "No. _That_ you can fix." She cocked her head to the side, "Dad taught us that early was on time, on time was late, and late was unacceptable."

"Us?" Callie quizzed lightly as she slid her arms out of her jacket.

"You know, us kids" Arizona replied, her charm sliding sharply away, only to be replaced with brisk professionalism. "Let me take your coat."

Nodding slowly, Callie handed over her leather jacket. Her eyes narrowed briefly as she filed away the knowledge that the other woman most definitely did not want to talk about her family. Casting around for a new topic of conversation as Arizona placed her jacket over the corner of the couch, she took in her surroundings. There wasn't a whole lot to see. The walls were the default white the complex owners would have painted them and were devoid of any hangings. The entertainment system was good, but nothing out of the ordinary, the couch and chair were clean and well made, the material a soft green. She was somewhat surprised not to see any packing boxes considering that the blonde hadn't been in Seattle all that long, but if this was all the woman owned, it certainly wouldn't have taken long to unpack. The only personal touch in the room was a rather full bookcase topped with two lit tapered candles. Lastly, her eyes alit on the clean, somewhat barren kitchen. "Umm, Arizona?"

The blonde made an inquisitive noise as she turned back to face her, her mood already lighter.

"Have you already eaten dinner?"

"No silly, I invited you over for…" Arizona looked skyward. "Shit." The sound of Callie's laughter, ringing like bells, elicited a sheepish grin. "So we'll order in, I'm better at that anyway." She opened a drawer in the kitchen and produced a pile of menus. "What are you in the mood for? Chinese? Italian? Sandwiches?"

Callie edged onto a stool at the counter, watching the blonde flip through menus. "You don't even like sandwiches Arizona," she said, recalling a cafeteria conversation.

"But I like you, so if you want sandwiches then so do I," Arizona replied softly.

Callie swallowed at the subtext, feeling a jangle of nerves, unsure of how the conversation had taken such a serious turn so early in the evening. "You know what, I don't like sandwiches either, I like pizza."

Arizona smiled in relief, "I like pizza too."

Callie fiddled with a slip of paper she'd dug out of her pocket as Arizona placed the order before closing her cell phone and placing it on the counter.

"Thirty minutes."

"Great," Callie replied, obviously distracted. "So umm, I had a cool patient today."

"Oh yeah?" Arizona said, encouragingly, as she opened a bottle of wine and found glasses.

"Yeah, mid-thirties, seemed really nice, I think she said she's an environmental activist of some sort - works with the state."

Blonde brows drew together in concern, "Ok… so she had some cool ortho thing going on?"

"Not really, just a slight knee strain, nothing surgical, but she seemed really great," Callie went on, "She's really involved in community things too and I got her number-"

Arizona waved a hand, cutting Callie off, "Tell me this is going somewhere other than, 'It's been fun, but I want to try my hand with eco-barbie now.'"

Callie's jaw dropped as she scanned Arizona's face for a hint of humor. Nada. "Arizona," Callie continued in a tone one would use with a recalcitrant child, "She, Eline that is, was telling me about this really cool book club she belongs to when I was bracing her knee and I thought you might want to call her." Extending her hand, she proffered a slip of paper. "I got her number _for you_."

Arizona's expression of remorse was classic. "Oh," she said quietly as she reached out and gingerly took the proffered paper. She snuck a quick look at Callie to try to gauge if the younger woman was mad that she'd so easily leapt to the wrong conclusion. She winced. Seriously, _now _the brunette suddenly develops a poker face? "That was really nice, thanks?"

"Try again."

Arizona grimaced at the cool tone and uninterpretable look. "Sorry that I assumed the worst?"

"Better." Callie slid off the stool with a sigh, rounding the counter to stand in front of Arizona. "We did this already, remember? In what shall be forever known as Nurse-gate 2010?" Her lips twitched upward as the silly name elicited a small smile from the blonde. "We're not dating other people while we…" for the first time that evening Callie was the one who looked flustered. "Until we figure out what _this_ is," she ended somewhat weakly.

"You're amazing."

Callie rolled her eyes and blushed slightly, discomfited by the compliment delivered in such a serious tone.

"No, you are," Arizona insisted, edging closer to look up in the Latina's face. "How is it that you're so… so damned _cool_ about this?"

"Cool about what?" Callie queried, honestly lost.

"About _us_!" Arizona shook her head, "Out of the two of us, you'd think I was the…"

"Newborn?" Callie finished in a silky tone when Arizona trailed off as she realized her error. She stepped closer, a hint of challenge in her eyes. "Didn't we agree that you wouldn't call me that anymore?"

"But it's not _fair_," Arizona said in a fair imitation of whining teenagers everywhere, in an attempt to distract Callie. "You're supposed to be the neurotic one here, not me! I should have this! I'm used to dating hot women!"

Callie laughed, delighted. "I'm going to take that as a compliment."

"You shouldn't," grumbled Arizona. It hadn't taken the mandatory psych rotation for Arizona to realize she was high on the personality dimension of neuroticism, with all the accompanying anxiety and nervousness that came with it. Personally, she thought it made her a better doctor. She was never satisfied with one try, one method - she wouldn't rest until she did anything and everything in her power. To perfection. In relationships though, her nerves sometimes got the better of her. Even though she knew that she was attractive and smart and likeable, it often took a little extra to silence her inner voice of doubt - especially when she really liked the other woman. And she couldn't ever remember liking another woman quite this much.

Callie reached out a hand and gently stroked blonde curls, "You're cute when you pout, you know that right?"

"Oh, so I'm neurotic but _cute_, and you get to be hot and secure?" Arizona huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Seems that way, huh?" Callie said with a pleased grin. Her grin faded as she toyed with a lock of blonde hair, "Cute doesn't exclude hot." She decided to take pity on the still-pouting woman. _Seriously, who knew that pouting could be a turn on? _"You make me nervous too," she said, meeting Arizona's eyes somewhat bashfully.

"You don't-" Arizona started briefly before deciding against lying. So much for playing it cool. She cocked her head, "I do?"

"Yeah!" breathed Callie emphatically. "I mean, come on! I was goodat sex," she let out a short laugh, "And I mean _good_!" She hurried to finish, realizing she was putting her foot in her mouth when Arizona winced. "But now… I don't know what I'm doing over here! It's like I'm 16 all over again, only this time instead of being in Jeremy Sanders' parent's basement, I'm in this hot girl's apartment. And the first time," she made a face, "The first time was not good. I fixed it though, I mean I'm pretty sure I did. The second time was _really_ good, but-"

"Sixteen huh?" Arizona inserted teasingly, realizing that it was up to her to stop the endless stream of words coming from the dark-haired woman before she embarrassed herself any further. She took a step closer to close the gap between them. Her arms snaked up around shoulders bared by the silky red top as she smiled up at Callie. She inhaled deeply, enjoying the sensations barraging her senses. The feel of smooth skin under her arms and hands, the smell of peppermint mixed with something light and fruity, the giddy rush she got when the other woman returned her embrace by settling strong hands on her hips - all acted to center her. She licked her lips, her eyes settling on the delicate throbbing in the taller woman's neck that belied her own nerves.

"S-sixteen." Callie confirmed, her earlier cockiness giving way to a need that was surprising in its strength. "Arizona," she murmured, the hitch in her voice giving her away.

"You shouldn't be nervous Calliope," Arizona whispered, so close that her lips brushed the soft skin of the Latina's neck. "You should be," she pressed a feather-light kiss to her pulse point, "really," she leaned up, trailing kisses to Callie's jaw, "really," she paused, her eyes level with Callie's, "excited." Blue eyes twinkled, as she confided in an exaggerated whisper, "I'm super good at this next part. Way better than Jeremy Sanders."

* * *

Callie panted, digging her fingers into Arizona's hips slightly before sliding her hands around to cup her bottom, drawing her closer. The blonde was easily as good as her word - somehow the smaller woman had maneuvered her onto the couch, and Callie was pretty sure she had lost her bra in the process. The details were hazy. All she was sure of was the woman currently straddling her lap, and the soft, demanding lips pressing into her own in a kiss that Callie never wanted to end. She gasped into the kiss as a determined hand stroked her shirt the rest of the way up, finally closing nimble fingers over her breast, cupping and massaging her. Yeah, the bra had definitely disappeared.

Thank god.

She arched her back, desperate for more. She groaned as she felt the other woman draw back, reluctantly opening her eyes.

"What do you want Calliope?" Arizona murmured, her blue gaze dark with intent.

Callie's eyes dropped instinctively to pink lips, swollen from their kisses, before returning to meet the most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen. "Kiss me Arizona," she said in a husky voice.

"Here?" Arizona returned her mouth to Callie's, sliding her tongue along the Latina's full bottom lip.

Callie moaned, eagerly returning the kiss until the blonde broke away again.

"Where Calliope?"

The brunette shifted restlessly under her, realizing that Arizona wasn't going to make this easy for her. She lifted her hand, resting it over the small hand still buried under her shirt. Her dark eyes smoldered as she whispered, "Here."

Arizona felt a rush of triumph and heat, rocking herself on Callie's lap as the other woman yielded, verbalizing her need. Her hands were grabbing Callie's shirt to tug it over her head when a sharp knock sounded at the door. Startled, Arizona jumped backwards, her head whipping around, and nearly landed herself on the floor. Callie's hands around her, holding her ass, were all that kept her from entirely losing her dignity.

"Pizza," called a bored voice through the door.

"Go away," Callie muttered in a strangled voice as she leaned up to press her open mouth to Arizona's clavicle.

Arizona's eyelashes fluttered briefly as she rocked into Callie's body. A second knock sent her struggling to stand, "Hold that thought love, I'll be right back."

The pizza boy's boredom immediately fled as the obviously hot and bothered blonde jerked open the door. He stammered out the order confirmation as she thrust cash into his hand and reached for the box. As she shifted, his eyes flashed behind her to the couch and the other, equally rumpled-looking woman and he froze in awed disbelief. The distracted delivery boy played a brief game of tug of war with Arizona as she tried to take the box. An extra firm tug brought him back to his senses and he released his death grip on the box, "Yeah, thanks. Thanks."

Arizona rolled her eyes as she shut the door, turning the lock with a satisfying click. While still incredibly turned on, the brief interlude had restored her appreciation for the ridiculous. She turned to share a joke about their new role in the lucky boy's fantasy life as she tossed the box on the counter. Both her humor and her mouth dried, however, as she found herself caught in the same trap as the pizza boy. Before, she had been too close to fully appreciate just how desirable the Latina looked with her clothing askew, her dark hair tangled around flushed shoulders, her full red lips, and her eyes - god, her eyes. Dark and deep, they made all kinds of promises.

Crossing back to the couch quickly, Arizona slid herself back onto the other woman's lap, her knees on either side of Callie's thighs. Impatient to finally _see_ more of the Latina, she renewed her grip on the other woman's shirt, pulling it swiftly up and over her head.

Never a religious person, Arizona nevertheless sent a swift _thank you_ winging up as she stared at the full, rounded breasts before her. She leaned down, gently nipping at a collarbone as her hands lifted to cover her newfound favorite things. She squeezed lightly, feeling the hardened buds scrape against her palms.

A groan of appreciation escaped the dark-haired woman as she felt Arizona caress her breasts. She bit down on her lip, nearly drawing blood as a hand shifted to the side, allowing the wet heat of Arizona's mouth to trail across her left breast, settling over her sensitized nipple. Callie sunk her fingers into blonde curls, her nails scraping lightly against Arizona's scalp as she tried to pull her closer.

A disjointed cry of protest sounded from Callie's lips as the blonde pulled back, shifting off her lap. Arizona couldn't help but grin in satisfaction at the look of confusion and lust on the typically sharp as a tack surgeon's face as she stood. Reaching a hand down, she gestured with a toss of her head towards her bedroom door. "Come with me."

Still confused, Callie looked at the couch on either side of her, "But I thought-"

"Calliope Torres, I am not making love to you for the first time on my couch like some hormone-driven teenager," the blonde's mock serious tone deepened, "I want to see you, feel you, in my bed."

A shiver danced across Callie's skin and she felt a renewed rush of heat at Arizona's words. _Making love_. She placed her hand in Arizona's and allowed the other woman to tug her upright. She caught Arizona's hips before she could turn away and dipped her head for a sweet kiss, her tongue sliding into Arizona's mouth with slow strokes. Pulling back, she placed lingering kisses along the blonde's jaw line as she slid her hands upward to touch the smooth skin above the waist of her jeans.

"B-bedroom," Arizona stammered, no longer as in control of the situation as the younger woman scraped her teeth over her earlobe before closing her lips over it to soothe the pain away. In response, Callie stepped back slightly and caught the bottom of her blue sweater, tugging it upwards. Arizona obligingly lifted her arms, gasping slightly at the fiery look in the Latina's eyes as the discarded sweater was tossed across the room.

"Bedroom," Callie confirmed in a voice husky with need as her eyes tracing the delicate outline of Arizona's sheer bra.

They made it to the bedroom, barely, before Arizona's dominant side reemerged. Callie managed one cursory glance at the simple, sturdy furnishings before she found herself backed rather forcefully into a wall. She groaned, eagerly pushing back against the lithe body pinning her in place, her hands roaming up and down Arizona's sides and back. A groan turned into a gasp as Arizona's thigh pushed between her own, applying just the right kind of pressure.

Arizona drew back reluctantly at the sharp sound, "Are you ok? Is this too fast?"

Callie groaned at the separation even as her hands took advantage by circling slender hips until her fingers could work loose the button on the other woman's jeans. "Too fast?" she loosed an alluring grin, "I have a feeling this is going to be just right Arizona…"

* * *

Dressed in an old t-shirt Arizona had provided, Callie watched from the doorway as Arizona splashed her hands under the faucet in the bathroom, waiting for the water to be just the right temperature before she cupped her hands and dashed water onto her face. Callie smiled at the way she scrunched her eyes shut tightly as she washed, keeping them that way as she blindly fumbled for the hand towel. "Glasses," she murmured to herself, in a moment of blinding clarity.

"Hmm?" Arizona inquired, having turned off the tap just in time to hear Callie's softly-spoken word. "I don't need them, I have 20-20 vision."

"I do too," Callie replied, taking the two steps needed to wrap her arms around the blonde's waist. She gave their reflection a long, intent look. "I do too," she repeated softly, "now." Her lips curved in a breathtaking smile, eliciting a dimpled response.

* * *

**A/N: So yes... bit of a lag there. Sorry, life delays. I've had this much written for a while, but was struggling over whether to go further - I finally decided I didn't want the pressure of trying to do their first time justice. Hope you like it anyway!**


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